Cycling is about "Safe exercise" and "Safe low-emission travel" The Health and Fitness objective is UNDERMINED if the means of exercise is UNSAFE! This blog STRONGLY OPPOSES certain reforms VicRoads is currently considering: “cyclists could be allowed to treat red lights as Give Way signs. And the same could also APPLY at pedestrian lights."
Also "PERMITTING cyclists, riding cautiously, to proceed past a stationary tram;" "allowing teenagers to ride on footpaths"(Herald Sun)PDowe

Thursday, July 26, 2012

"There is a system in place at the moment for identification of bicycles."

“Under
a program that was very prominent a number of years ago, people who had
purchased a bicycle could go to the local police station and have it engraved."

The bike was given the next
number on the sheet. It was a simple process of recording the name and address
of the owner of that bicycle in case that bicycle was lost. There is a system
in place at the moment for identification of bicycles.

I understand it is no
longer promoted by the government. Government members are out there promoting
their $38 billion transport plan.

I just wonder whether in terms of this
particular legislation it would assist to expand that program that already
exists, so that people could take their bike to the local police station and
have it engraved, so that there is an identification method as we move forward.

It is certainly worth considering, given this whole issue of identifying the
vehicle and the person riding that particular vehicle and bringing them in line
with some sort of identification process.

I walk a lot in the morning. I
go up around the North Carlton area to the top of Rathdowne Street, then come
back down Nicholson Street, which is a very interesting street in that the
footpath is a shared pedestrian and bicycle path.

I am concerned that one day
there will be a serious collision between a cyclist and a pedestrian in
Nicholson Street, because there is nothing to separate pedestrians and cyclists
on the footpath.

Cyclists come quickly riding up
behind you and do not ring their bells. On the day before yesterday I was just
opposite the emergency entrance of St Vincent's Hospital when an elderly lady
was walking in the opposite direction. We were both passed by a bike.

She
looked at me and said, 'Isn't it frightening? They are going to hit somebody'.
I say to the minister that that section of footpath, which, as I said earlier,
is a shared pedestrian and cycling path, should be revamped as a matter of
urgency.”